In spite of the doom and gloom prognostications
of the fisheries crisis industry, the only crisis our fishermen
are facing is that brought about by overzealous fishing restrictions.
This was demonstrated compellingly by Maine Senator Olympia Snowe
at a Senate hearing on the implementation of the Magnuson Act when,
holding one of the last cans of sardines canned in the last sardine
cannery in the United States, she pointed out that the cannery closed
down because it was facing a 40% reduction in the herring Total
Allowable Catch (TAC) not because of any pronlems with the resource
but simply because NMFS didn't know enough about the htock and was
managing "precautionarily" (for more on the Precautionary
Principle, click here).

The bottom line is that the fish stocks in the United
States' federally managed waters are in better shape than they've
been in for several generations. No one has said this better than
Dr. Steve Murawski, retired head scientist at NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service (link).

So why are the ENGOs so intent on perpetuating the
fantasy that our fisheries are in trouble and that we need a "revolution"
in how they are being managed (link),
particularly a revolution that entails adopting a for the most part
untried fisheries management technique? Take a look at the grant
dollars that are neing rained on these ENGOs by a small handful
of mega-foundations and you'll get an idea. The biggest question
remains "why ar the foundations doing it?"